Big Win for Micronutrients

While you won’t see nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium take a back seat to micronutrients, farmers are using more so-called second-tier minerals, such as boron, copper, manganese and zinc, to boost yields. Just how much is highlighted by Marketsand­Markets (M&M), a Dallas-based market research and consulting company, in its report, "Micronutrient Market by Type, Application Mode, Crop Type and Geography–Global Trends and Forecasts to 2017." M&M research shows that company global revenues reached $3.77 billion in 2011. The agency expects that dollar amount to nearly double in the next four years. North American sales constitute 20% of total agriculture micronutrient market revenues and are expected to have the fastest growth, about 8.9%, through 2017.